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About this blog: I've been attracted to food for good and bad reasons for many years. From eating disorder to east coast culinary school, food has been my passion, profession & nemesis. I've been a sugar addict, a 17-year vegetarian, a food and en... (More)

About this blog: I've been attracted to food for good and bad reasons for many years. From eating disorder to east coast culinary school, food has been my passion, profession & nemesis. I've been a sugar addict, a 17-year vegetarian, a food and environment pioneer, macrobiotic, Master Cleanser, ayurvedic, and officially-designated health-nut or party-girl (depending on the year). Professionally, I've worn many industry hats including: line cook, corporate chef, Food Coach, caterer, product developer, restaurant reviewer, culinary school teacher, corporate wellness educator, food co-op clerk, author, and even Cirque-du-Soleil lead popcorn concessioner! For years I managed an outdoor kitchen, deep in the bear-infested woods of Tahoe, and also for hospitals (the most unhealthy kitchen I ever worked in?), Singapore high-rises, mule-pack trips, Canadian catholic rectories, and more events than I could ever recall. Yet I still keep discovering. Actually, I adapt everyday by new lessons learned from teachers, customers and students. However there is one food truth I now hold sacrosanct: Eaters are motivated by pleasure. So no matter what we discuss here - recipes or restaurants, food politics or pairings, local events, food as art, or even as God, I will always come from a high-vibe, party perspective. Oh I do still long to change the world with great tasting food, but know in my heart, "If it ain't fun, it don't get done!" So - wanna come to the Food Party? By the way - it's a potluck. (Hide)

Wash Your Hands!

Uploaded: Mar 4, 2020

What a difference a week makes eh? But before you keep reading, please go wash your hands.

All of a sudden things are stopping. I was on my way to the Natural Food Expo in Los Angeles, an international trade show hosting 10's of 1000’s, larger than the Fancy Food Show that fills both wings of Moscone in San Francisco, but it just cancelled yesterday, and it starts today!

Word on the street is elbow bumping is the new hug or hand shake. Even still, we touch our faces 15 times an hour, which means what you just touched is going to make it up and onto your face or hair in the next four minutes unless you go wash right now.

AUBREY: OK, I am going to sound like a preschool teacher here. The CDC says you want to lather up with soap. Then you want to lather the back of your hands, between your fingers, under your nails and then scrub.

SIMON: For how long?

AUBREY: Twenty seconds. And the CDC points out this is about how long it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice. But of course, if you find that annoying, you could expand the hand-washing playlist. Here's one suggestion...

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "BABY SHARK")

Good Housekeeping (still in business – who knew?) goes all DIY on us with a natural hand sanitizer using only vodka, aloe vera gel, lavender and tea tree essential oils. But all we really need to do is pour the bottle of vodka on our hands if it's over 60% alcohol, right?

It’s no surprise that food in its many forms, plays a big part in transmitting things on us over onto others. For that reason and all the others please remember, we are all in this together.

Posted by 1-2 Punch,
a resident of Atherton: Lindenwood,
on Mar 4, 2020 at 2:19 pm

If you're only doing o0ne thing you're not doing all you can. Washing hands may be best, but washing hands, then using sanitizer when back at your desk and repeating frequently is the very best plan of attack. Eating yogurt helps with your immune system as well, many reports are showing.
Also exercising regularly.

Relying on only one will not benefit you as much as a multi-pronged approach.

Posted by CrescentParkAnon.,
a resident of Crescent Park,
on Mar 9, 2020 at 3:22 pm

> I wonder if microwaving the bills would have any affect on the germ?

It is like running your microwave with nothing in it ... something the instructions say can break at least some microwaves out there. Not a good idea. Energy gets fed back into the magnetron and burns it out.

> Should I admonish someone who exits the men's room without washing their hands after coming out of a stall for #2? Or remind them to do so?

Nah. Once (insert virus of choice) hits 'em, they won't be using that stall for awhile. :/

Anyway, now that we're trying to find more stuff to hoard :P if you can't find hand sanitizer, 70% isopropyl alcohol kills the viruses. So use a 2:1 ratio of 99% isopropyl alcohol and aloe vera gel. Or just spray 70% isopropyl alcohol directly, since you'll want to use it to spray down surfaces. (The kitchen, btw, has more bacteria and germs than your bathroom.)

Posted by CrescentParkAnon.,
a resident of Crescent Park,
on Mar 11, 2020 at 9:55 am

Washing hands is key, but another thing is social distancing. Particularly while standing in lines with other people.

I was in the supermarket a day ago and the people in line are so clueless and unthinking. I'll never really understand why Americans in line are so convinced that pushing against the person in front of you in line is going to help anything to go faster or be more pleasant? There was a guy behind me in line that kept bumping me to the point where I was ready to turn around and curse him out or just shove him.

In a situation like that I am practically at a loss for words.

Does anyone have a good positive calm civil response on what to say to people who are so reckless and clueless that they do not pay attention to what is going on?

As much as I might feel like it, I don't think turning around and bellowing "Hey DA, will you back the F off AH, don't you know there is an epidemic happening?"

Posted by Space,
a resident of another community,
on Mar 11, 2020 at 11:53 am

CPA, just start taking a cart and put it between you and the person behind. If you don't want to use a cart, just let the offending person you've tested positive for COVID and suggest that he back away? :)